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P. E. HAwKlNs 2,112,652

UTILITY TRUCK Filed Oct. 19, 1955 March 29, 1938.

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ATTORNEY.

3 Sheets-Sheet l March 29, 1938. P. E. HAwKlNs UTILITY TRUCK Filed Oct.19, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 III.

ATTORNEY.

March 29, 1938.

P. E. HAwKlNS UTILITY TRUCK Filed oct. 19, 1935 HUH 3`Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR.

7M /3 om@ ATTORNEY.

graph wires and current conductors, putting up for illustration, thepower means is below and Patented Mar. 29, 193s 2,112,652:

UNITED STATES PATET OFFICE l UTILITY TRUCK Paul E. Hawkins, Lakewood,Ohio, assigner to The Baker-Raulaug Company, Cleveland, ho, acorporation of Ohio Application October 19, 1935, Serial No. 45,761

2 Claims. (Cl. 296-137) This invention relates to a power driven truckpreferably mounted on a chassis having front of the utility typeparticularly adapted for use steerable wheels 4 and rear driven wheels5, but by electricians and linemen in removing, re-setif desired thetruck may consist of a tractor and ting and installing poles fortelephone and teledetachable trailer. In the arrangement chosen andrepairing overhead and underground conwithin the hood 6 and such meansis drivingly ductors and wiring and other operations. Connected to thewheels 5 in a well known man- One object of the invention is to providein a ner. rIhe cab 3 is preferably of the closed type truck or vehiclean improved body having a secand provided with doors I (only one beingshown) lo tional roof permitting a large portion thereof to and houses asuitable seat opposite a steering be readily opened for variouspurposes, such as wheel 8. The doors I are provided with suitable theerection of a derrick, poles or other equipwindows which may be movablymounted in the ment for carrying out various operations. door orremovable therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide in The body 2 comprises aflooring 9 on which are a truck or vehicle an improved body having amounted at either side thereof inwardly of its roof formed of relativelymovable sections, which side edges a plurality of upright skeleton frameare simple and economical in construction and members IB, spacedlongitudinally of the floorrelatively light to permit of their easyoperation, ing. At either side, the flooring is provided with to providean overhead opening at and extending inverted boxes (not shown) to coverthe wheels inwardly from the rear end of the body. E. I provide on theouter sides of each set of Z Another object of the invention is toprovide an upright frame members ID, and extending from improved bodyfor a vehicle having a roof formed end to end of the body 2 upper andlower storing of a xed section and sections which are mounted chambersI6, I'I, having end walls I8. The upto slide relative to each other andthe fixed secper chambers I6 preferably open into the interior tion in amanner which reduces friction to a of the body 2, whereas the lowerchambers open Q5 minimum and prevents damage to their walls orexteriorly of the body 2 and are closed by doors the paint thereon. 25,which are preferably hinged. The outer Other objects of the inventionwill be apparent walls I8 of the upper chambers I6 are formed to thoseskilled in the art to which my invention of sheet metal and at theirupper portions they relates from the following description taken in areextended inwardly to form the top walls I9 o0 A 30 connection with theaccompanying drawings, of thesechambers, their marginal portions beingwherein bent upwardly, as shown at I9 and suitably se- Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of a truck embodying cured to the outer side members of theframes I0. my invention, the roof being closed, but parts Theconstruction of the body as above set forth thereof being broken away.is preferably similar to that shown and described 35 Fig. 2 is an endelevation. in my (zo-pending application, Serial No. 2,554, to

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing which reference may bemade, so that a fuller the roof open (parts of the roof being brokenillustration and description herein is not required.

away) and a derrick erected on the truck ooring. 20 indicates a pair ofupwardly and inwardly .i0 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View of theCurved members extending longitudinally of the o line 4-4 of Fig. '7.body and supported on and suitably secured along Fig. 5 is a.fragmentary section on the une 5-5 their outer edges to the tor Walls I9and Supportof Fig. 6. ing on their inner edges a roof 2l formed of rel-Fig. 6 is a section on the line -l of Fig. 5. atively movable sections.The inner horizontal i5 Figs. 7 and 8 are sections on the lines I-I andportions of the members 2l! form a support on 45 8-8, respectively, ofFig. 4. which one roof section slides and their inner mar- Figs. 9 and10 are fragmentary sections of parts ginal portions are bent upwardly,as shown at 22 shown in Fig. 4, enlarged. and laterally outwardly, orflanged as shown at Fig. 11 is a fragmentary section on the line 23, toform a support for the remaining roof sec- II-II of Fig. 4. tions. 50Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective View illus- The roof 2l comprises astationary or fixed sectrating certain details. tion 24 and a pluralityof (preferably two) slidtruck comprising a body 2 and drivers cab 3their extended or closed position (Figs. 1 and li)- 5 Fig. 13 is asection on the line I3-I3 of Fig. 12.. able sections 25, 26, which maymove relative to In the drawings, I indicates as an entirety the eachother and the stationary section 24 from to a position wherein they aredisposed over the latter (Figs. 3 and 5); and these sections are formedof sheet metal to permit economical fabrication thereof and to providelightness, whereby the slidable sections may be easily operated ineither direction. In the arrangement shown, and to provide for theerection of a derrick 21 at the rear of the body as shown in Fig. 3, thestationary roof section 24 is arranged at the front end of the body andits opposite longitudinal sides are bent upwardly to t between thevertical walls 22 (to which they may be suitably secured) and laterallyat 28 to enga-ge and rest on the flanges 23, their free edges being bentdownwardly or flanged, as shown at 29, to protect the joint betweenthem. The roof section 24 is slightly bowed between its opposite edgesfor drainage purposes. The front slidable section 25 is slightly bowedtransversely substantially parallel to the section 24 to provide for itssliding engagement with the outer longitudinal edges of the walls 28 andchannel rails 28', whereby the sliding contact between the section 25and portions of the section 24 and rails 28' is reduced to a minimum.The rails 28' extend along the walls 23 rearward of the wall 28 tosupport the section 25 horizontally. The opposite side edges of the roofsection 25 are provided with downwardly bent walls, as shown at 39,which may engage with the anges 29 and the outer iianges of the rails28', whereby the section 25 is guided in its endwise movement, and thewalls 3U are provided with inturned anges 3| to prevent intake of dirtand water, as well as to lock the section against upward movement andmaintain it in sliding engagement with the walls 28, 28. The rearmostslidable section 26 is also bowed substantially parallel to the sections24 and 25 and is provided along its opposite sides with depending sidewalls 32 disposed on the outer sides of and guided by the side walls 39of the section 25; and at their lower ends the side walls 32 areprovided with inturned flanges 33 which slide on the inner horizontalportion of the members 20, or a rail or track 33' provided on thelatter. The side walls 32 are of suilicient length to support the roofsection 26 in spaced relation to the roof section 25. As the walls 33extend under the walls 3| of the section 25, the section 26 is lockedagainst upward movement and maintained in sliding engagement with therails 33. At its rear end, the section 26 is provided with an end wall34, which is cut away at its opposite ends, as shown at 35, toaccommodate the walls 22, 23, and 3| when the section is slid forwardly.When the rearmost section is slid forwardly, the end wall 34 engages therear end of the section 25 and is arrested thereby, unless the appliedforce is continued; in this latter event the wall 34 serves as a thrustmember to slide the section 25 forwardly until the end Wall 34 isstopped by the rear end of the roof section 24, as shown in Fig. 5. Inthis position the wall 34 closes the spaces between the sections to keepout dirt and water. The sections are provided along their ad- Joiningtransverse edges with interengaging overlapping walls which serve (a) toclose the space between when the sections are in closed position, (b) toconnect them together so that when moved from their open position totheir closed position the sliding of the rearrnost section 26 to itsextreme position will eiTect a sli-ding of the intermediate section 25and (c) to limit the rearward movement of the sections. As shown inFigs. 8, 9 and 10, each of the sections 24 and 25 is provided along itstransverse rear end with an upstanding wall 35 and a forwardly extendingwall 36 and each of the sections 25 and 26 is provided along itstransverse forward end with a depending wall 31 and a rearwardlyextending wall 38 which Walls interengage with the walls 35' and 35 ofthe adjoining section, as shown in Figs. 4, 9 and 10. The guiding andsupporting walls for the sections 24 and 25, are so arranged that duringsliding movement of the sections 25 and 26, the wall 38 on one sectiondoes not contact with the adjacent section. 39 indicates a vertical wallextending along each member 2U outwardly of they adjacent side Wall 32of the member 26 from the rear end or" thefixed section 24. The wallserves to cover the sides of the sections an-d to prevent intake of dustand water between the guiding and supporting walls thereof. Each wall 39and the adjacent track 33 may be formed integrally by means of a metalwall bent at right angles, the inturned portion Which forms the track33', being riveted to the adjacent Wall 29 (see Fig. 11). At its rearend, each wall 39 is provided with an inturned end wall to close thespaces between the walls 22, 23, 32, 33.

It will be noted that the roof sections are formed of sheet metal toinsure lightness and that they are disposed in spaced relation and theslidable sections are independently supported along their opposite sideson relatively narrow surfaces, whereby the friction is reduced to aminimum. As a result the sections may be readily Inoved. in eitherdirection Varying distances or to their extreme open and closedpositions.

In the preferred arrangementythe roof sections when in closed positionand side supporting members 2U terminate inwardly of the rear ends oithe body sides and flooring 9 so that an operator may stand on the rearend portion of the flooring when the roof sections are closed and thuseasily operate them whendesired.

Provision is made for locking the roof sections in closed position oropen position or the rearmost section in an intermediate position byproviding in one wall 22 suitable openings 40 to receive a latch 4|. Thelatch 4| consists of a rod endwise slidable and rotatable in the endwalls of a casing 42. The rod 4| is -provided with a collar againstwhich a coiled spring 43 (mounted between the collar andouter end wallof the casing) normally acts to thrust the rod outwardly and maintain itin one of the openings (see Fig. 1l), such movement being limited by ashoulder 44 on the outer end portion of the rod, engaging the outer endwall of the casing. The rod 4| is provided with a laterally extendingpin or lug 45 which extends through and traverses an angularly shapedslotJ 46 formed in the side wall of the casing 42, so that when the rodis moved endwise inwardly and rotated, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.1l, the rod 4| is held in an inoperative position.

To those skilled in the art to which my invention relates, many changesin construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of theinvention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention. My disclosures and the description herein arepurely illustrative and are not lntended to be in any sense limiting.

What I claim is:

l. A vehicle body comprising a ooring, side members extending alongeither side of said body and forming an aisle between them and anopening at the rear end of said iiooring, upwardly and inwardlyextending rigid walls xedly supported on and substantially (zo-extensivewith said side members, the inner marginal edge of each of said wallsterminating in a vertical portion having an outwardly extending flangearranged to form a horizontal guide, and a roof for the space betweensaid walls consisting of a rigid section xedly related to said Verticalportions at the forward ends thereof, a rearward rigid section slidableon said guide flanges and having portions provided with inturned membersextending thereunder, and a separate rigid section having depending sideportions disposed outwardly of the lateral portions of said rearwardsection and provided with flanges extending inwardly below said inturnedmembers of said rearward section for slidably supporting said separatesection on said Walls independently of said rearward section.

2. A vehicle body comprising a flooring, side members extending alongeither side of said body and forming an aisle between them and anopening at the rear end of said flooring, upwardly and inwardlyextending rigid walls iixedly supported on and substantiallyco-extensive with said side members, the inner marginal edge of each ofsaid walls terminating in a vertical portion having an outwardlyextending flange arranged to form a horizontal guide, and a roof for thespace between said walls consisting of a rigid section xedly mounted onsaid walls at the forward ends thereof, a rearward rigid sectionslidab-le on said guide iianges and having portions provided withinturned members extending thereunder, and a separate rigid sectionhaving depending side portions disposed outwardly of the lateralportions of said rearward section and provided with flanges extendinginwardly below said inturned members of said rearward section forslidably supporting said separate section on said walls independently ofsaid rearward section, the rear end of said ixedly mounted section, theopposite ends of said rearward section and the forward end of saidseparate section being provided with inturned reversely related portionsexten-ding from side to side thereof and arranged to interengage whensaid sections are in normal or extended position to seal the jointbetween them.

PAUL E. HAWKINS.

